Recognized every year in April, National Minority Health Month is a time to focus on raising awareness about health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minority populations.  Supporting this year’s theme, Active & Healthy, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is raising awareness about the important role an active lifestyle plays in keeping people healthy and emphasizing the health benefits of incorporating even small amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity into daily life.  Illinois’ racial and ethnic minorities make up 39 percent of the state’s population, but share higher rates of disease burden for diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, HIV, substance use disorders, infant mortality, and low birth weight.  IDPH also wants to encourage people to enroll in the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health month-long steps competition designed to motivate people to take that extra step to be healthy.  The challenge begins today, April 1, 2019, and will end at midnight on April 30, 2019.  More information about Minority Health Month Events in Illinois can be found on the dph.illinois.gov website.